1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to an energy efficient dispenser having an indication sequence that informs a user of the state of the dispenser and methods of operating same.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Diffusion devices or dispensers are used to dispense volatile materials, such as fragrances, deodorizers, insecticides, insect repellants, and the like. Many of these dispensers are active dispensers, which may include fans and/or heaters to aid in the dispersal of volatile materials, others actuate a valve stem of an aerosol container to dispense a volatile material contained therein, still others utilize an ultrasonic transducer to break up a liquid volatile material into droplets that are ejected from the device, and yet others include any combination of the above or any other known type of active diffusion device.
Traditionally, these active dispensers include a controller that implements an operational methodology to release the volatile material from the dispenser. The volatile material is often released in response to input from a sensor, the depression of a pushbutton, or upon lapsing of a time interval. The operating methodologies also often include periods that the volatile material is prevented from being released and/or periods that a sensor is inactive. In order to inform a user of the operational state of the dispenser, many dispensers include an audible indicator or a visual indicator, such as an LED which blinks according to an LED indication sequence. The drawback of traditional LED indication sequences is that they consume excessive amounts of power.
Recently, consumers have become more conscious of the amount of energy they consume in their daily lives. Many consumers are surprised to learn that powering an LED according to a traditional operational sequence often consumes more energy than powering the dispenser to release the volatile material itself. Consumers are therefore desirous of limiting the amount of energy they use. Thus, it would be beneficial to create a dispenser, which uses less energy to operate than traditional dispensers. Such energy efficient dispensers that utilize batteries as a power source will have the added benefit of allowing a user to replace the batteries less frequently, which is more convenient to a user and less expensive.
Consequently, a need has arisen for energy efficient dispensers that provide the user an indication of the operational state of the dispenser using various patterned indication sequences. The present disclosure relates to solutions to address such needs.